Chapter 5 The First Meeting "That was another successful raid today," Zar said as he and Cedric were taking a walk through the forest after a triumphant victory in raiding one of the Wulvbaen supply huts. The rest of the group had already gone back to the underground village with the supplies. However, Cedric and Zar are taking a long way back home to spend some time together as brothers. The siblings usually talk about how the fight went or who did better than the others. The latter discussion is about friendly competitive terms that sometimes end up with Zar getting Cedric into a headlock and playfully wrestling with him. Cedric: And did you see how we had to rescue Yuon? I had to give that guard a real good kick to the side to get him out of that jam. Cedric said as he used body language to describe the battle scenario to Zar. Cedric: And then that guard landed face-first in the mud! He's probably going to need to wash that off five times to get it out of his fur. He and Zar burst into laughter and continued talking about how their mission went and how to improve their skills the next time the Eeriuff clan needed to find more supplies. The two brothers were among the best in the Eeriuff with getting the task done. Cedric was about to say something until he suddenly paused, raising his hand at his brother for him to halt. His nose had picked up something off in the area they were standing in, a scent deemed unfamiliar in this part of the forest. From all the times they've passed here, the surrounding area usually had a sweet fragrance of fresh flowers growing all around the woods. But something new was in the air that smelled of lavender mixed with a hint of honey - it was a smell that seemed very odd to Cedric, prompting that the two were not alone and that someone was hiding close by. Cedric looked over at his brother. Cedric: Zar, do you smell something off in this part of the forest? He asked. Zar sniffed the air and nodded his head to confirm. That made the brothers worry. Whoever was out here could be a Wulvbaen following them, compromising their secret about the tunnel systems. The both of them cannot imagine what might happen to their clan if the Wulvbaens were to find the underground village. Cedric cocked one thumb at the path behind him while keeping his voice down so that only Zar would hear him. Cedric: You better head back to the village right away. He said. Zar's face expressed a worrisome look at the thought of leaving his twin sibling behind. The two had a close family bond with one another - Zar thought he would lose him too, just like how they lost their father when the Banished One left him behind to face the Wulvbaens alone. Cedric noticed this and said. Cedric: Don't worry, I'll be alright. We can't risk letting anyone else discover our village. He reminded his brother. Cedric: I'll catch up once I shake off the intruder. Zar: But Cedric, what if- Cedric: Zar, no one outside our clan must know our secret. Besides, we've been in and got out of more challenging situations than this. Now go! Cedric said, pointing again at the path behind him. Zar still had objections to his brother's choice but didn't argue. He knew his brother was right about keeping the underground village a secret. Without another word, he went off in the direction Cedric directed him to, leaving him behind. Then Cedric went off in the opposite direction, around the area. Kinshra was still hiding behind the tree, anxiously waiting for the two Lykahnis to be gone. She overheard them earlier asking about a fresh smell in the air. That was when she realized that one of them had smelled the perfume she uses, blowing her cover. The thought of masking her smell never occurred to her, but it's too late to fix that problem now. Kinshra cannot tell from her point of view if the two are members of her clan or the Eeriuff. Either way, she is uncertain how she can escape from this mess. Through sheer willpower, Kinshra found the strength to slow her breathing to calm down and remained silent - so that she could listen carefully to her surroundings. Kinshra briefly heard someone rushing on the grass that soon faded away. Next, she hears rustling noises of the nearby foliage. That sound was enough to make Kinshra feel unease and frightened that she braced herself. She'd expect the worse to happen, but, to her surprise, nothing happened. Instead, everything suddenly became quiet—not a voice or a sound of leaves shifting—not a single thing was disturbing the silence. When Kinshra peeks around the tree's trunk, she no longer sees the two Lykahnis standing at the spot she heard them, which made the situation feel odd to the princess. She wondered why they would leave so suddenly. Moments later, she comes out of her hiding spot to investigate, ensuring no one else is around and that she has a clear path to escape back to the castle. Looking around, Kinshra notices some tracks on the ground. One set went the opposite way, while another went to the left. Her eyes followed them to where they ended shortly, just a few feet apart from the former set. Kinshra didn't find more. It was like the owner had just vanished, leaving only its four-toed footprints behind. "This is getting stranger and stranger." Kinshra thought as she stood in her place, looking to the left of a tree trunk and then to the right behind a bush, trying to remember which path to take to get back home. Who knows if her father would awaken to check on his daughter only to find the princess missing for a very long time? How will Kinshra and Kaira explain their way out from the lecturing discipline of the alpha of the clan? When she'd stopped between two trees, it wasn't until later that a feeling arose inside her like something was watching her. Slowly, she looked up at the tree branch above and realized that a pair of yellow eyes were looking down at her. Kinshra gasped and ran as fast as her legs could take her with the figure with the yellows eyes following close from behind. Kinshra ran for a long time. She didn't care where she went as long as it was far away from whatever was watching her, not bothering to look behind. Kinshra could hear the thing make the leaves rustle every time it jumped onto the next branch, coming closer. There was possibly no way that the princess could outrun it now. And even if by some fate she escaped, who is to say that the thing in the woods won't be back the next time she sneaks out again tomorrow and the next day and — She felt something ensnare and pull Kinshra by the leg, lifting her right off the ground in one quick swoop. It was so sudden that Kinshra didn't have time to react. The next thing Kinshra knew, she was inches above the ground, dangling upside down with a noose tied around her foot - a well-hidden trap that the princess had overlooked. She struggles to get free from the bind by wiggling around to the sides then tries to get herself free by seeing if she can untie the knot, but no matter what Kinshra did, the rope just wouldn't come loose. Eventually, she gave up and just remained suspended above the ground. She could get a knife that she packed. But her bag fell off after being caught. Kinshra frowns and lets out an irritable sigh at how all this is happening to her. A princess that belonged to one of the greatest clans chased by something and was now hanging upside down from a tree branch-this felt humiliating to Kinshra. When she thought it couldn't get any worse, she saw the same pair of bright yellow eyes from earlier peering out from the shadows behind her, and they seemed to come closer to her now with every step they took. There was no way she could escape from whatever was coming now. Her mind thought to some metaphor heard when she was a child that whatever frightens you would magically disappear by not looking at it. Kinshra knew how silly it sounded, but she had little choice in her situation. She shuts her eyes tightly, turns her head away, and holds her breath, hoping that the gleaming yellow eyes will go away. "Hey, are you alright?" Kinshra's eyes were still closed when she heard a gentle, masculine voice asking her the question. She slowly opens one eye and then the other. She became startled after noticing a tall blue-fur Lykahni staring back with the same yellow-colored eyes that chased her earlier. Seeing his shoulder armor bearing a symbol of the Eeriuff clan brought unease tension throughout her body because of Kennelly's stories, including how they killed her mother. Kinshra: Stay back! She demands while still trying to get loose by wiggling. But to no avail. She turns her attention to the Lykahni in front of her. He was looking up to where her foot was. She watches the male climb up the tree, disappearing into the leaves. Kinshra thought he had run away and left her alone to dangle around until she heard a voice from above say. "Watch your head now!" The next thing that happened was Kinshra landing on the ground with a thud. She lets out a grunt and groans when she sits up. Looking over, she spots the rope that was around her leg. The other end of it looked like a knife had cut it off, releasing her from the trap. The male that helped her jumped back to the ground and kneeled to cut up the knot from her foot. "Sorry about the rough landing there. I—" He stopped once he looked up at her. Kinshra wasn't sure why he paused till she felt a draft over her hair. She realizes her hood had flipped back after she fell. The princess knew right away that anyone could now see her paint marks. The Lykahni in front of her probably knew who she was because of it. What's worse is that an enemy of the Wulvbaen clan saw them. The princess doesn't know what she can do or what will happen next if the male figures out who she is. Both were speechless for a while until the male finally spoke. "Do you have a name?" Kinshra just stared back at him in silence. She just scooted back a little, away from him. Her gaze still locked onto his, wondering what his next move would be. The male just shook his head and pointed to himself. "I am Cedric." He said. Then pointed his finger at Kinshra. Cedric: And you are? He waited, letting the question drift out to where Kinshra might pick up and respond to it. The princess was hesitant to answer. Eventually, she gave her name to Cedric in a quiet tone that almost sounded like a whisper. Kinshra: K-Kinshra. She answered. She turned her head to the side as if she couldn't believe that she had let someone else outside of the Wulvbaen clan know her name. She doesn't even know why she did that. The words just came out unexpectedly. Cedric: You're a princess, aren't you? Cedric asked. Kinshra looked at him again but didn't answer. She kept moving back till her hand touched a strap that belonged to the bag she dropped. She can now reach for the knife she kept inside. Slowly, she slides her hand inside it as she watches Cedric coming closer with a confused look, wondering why the princess is moving away. Kinshra's hand moves inside her bag till she finds what feels like the grip of her knife. She pulls it out from the pack and swings it in front of Cedric to at least distract him by slashing at a part of his body so she can escape. What she didn't count was the Eeriuff's quick reflex grabbed the princess by the arm, saving himself from receiving a wound and successfully disabling her weapon. Moving faster than Kinshra could see, Cedric subdued her by bringing her arms behind her back and putting his arm over her neck into a non-lethal neck hold. Cedric seemed more potent than Kinshra, and it was challenging for her to get out the more she struggled. Cedric wasn't putting too much pressure on the neck. He didn't want to hurt her or let her get away, either. He figured he could at least get information about his father's fate from the clan's princess. Cedric: What has your clan done to Duran? Answer me! He demanded. The change in his tone sounded tense because of the effort of keeping Kinshra in the hold as she kept fighting. Kinshra: I do not know who this Duran is. But I won't let history repeat what you Eeriuffs did to my mother! She replied while struggling; the words sparked curiosity in the warrior, wanting to know more about why she has such aggression towards his clan. Cedric: What did we ever do to your mother, princess? Kinshra: You bos'yauts know what happened sixteen years ago! My father told me you'd sent three of your kind to assassinate him, but they took my mother's life instead! At first, Cedric didn't know what Kinshra was talking about until he remembered the three members of the Eeriuff clan that were banished sixteen years ago. They must be the ones who caused this mess, making the princess and her father blame the Eeriuff for such a misunderstanding. Cedric: I think I know what you're saying. But I think you got the wrong idea about whom to blame for the attack. Kinshra: Well, whose fault would it be then? Cedric tries to explain to Kinshra everything about how the Eeriuff clan had banished three of their members for leaving one of their own to be taken away by the Wulvbaens. Even telling her that the Eeriuff member they left was Duran, his father. Kinshra only calmed down a little after hearing from his side of the story, though still skeptical about Cedric's words. An idea came into her head: maybe if she follows along to see where this goes, she might find out where the Eeriuff clan could be hiding. So she made a plan. Kinshra: Okay then, but I am still not convinced you didn't send them. Don't you have some proof of banishing these rogues? Cedric stares at Kinshra in disbelief at what he heard. Does she want proof to believe that what he said was true? The only place he knows where there would be a record of The Banished One's betrayal would be in the library, back in the underground village. He knows the danger of bringing an outsider to their town. What choice does he have now? "But wait," a thought came to Cedric, "if she comes and reads that record, she might believe me once I show her the proof. Plus, she is a Wulvbaen. We might make peace with each other!" The warrior thought he had made a good plan. However, he would have to ensure that no one could recognize that Kinshra was a princess of the Wulvbaen clan. Her outfit and hood were an excellent choice for a disguise, but she might need more than clothing to hide her appearance. Cedric: Okay, I'll give you the proof you need. But where we're going, you're going to need a better way to hide. You got the right idea of wearing that outfit, princess. Cedric said, inspecting her robes. Kinshra kept her cautious gaze on him as he walked around her. Cedric: But, I am afraid all of that would be insufficient. Fortunately, I know a solution to that problem though it might get messy. Kinshra: Messy? Kinshra repeated, making sure that she heard it right. Cedric took a few steps forward while looking back, gesturing her to follow. Cedric: Just a simple cover-up for your markings and the fragrance. My clan would figure you out right away from the unusual smell. Come, we have much to do if you want to see the proof you need. Kinshra: Well, okay. Kinshra cracked a small smile as soon as Cedric turned his back to her. The plan seemed to go better than she had expected. This Lykahni, she thought of as naïve, was going to lead her straight to the village, right where the entire Eeriuff clan lives. If only her father could see his daughter had proven herself. Maybe he will ease her from the strict rules. Kinshra was into her fantasy of the praise she might receive when Cedric called out to her after noticing that she wasn't following him, bringing the princess back into reality. Cedric: Hey, you coming? We have to find some unah berries. It'll help with your scent. Cedric ambled ahead, with Kinshra following behind him, still daydreaming about getting the respect she deserves. Little does the princess know is that, eventually, she would be in for quite a journey with the Eeriuff warrior.